The business of reinsurance developed at the fringe of financial services and, for most of its existence, went largely unnoticed outside the expert community. More recently, both public and professional sensitivity towards managing risks has increased and reinsurers have emerged as authorities on global threats such as climate change and natural catastrophes. This is the first book to provide a comprehensive historical description of this industry. It traces the global development of reinsurance from the early 19th century until today. As such it gives a detailed account of how the nature of risk itself changed over the last 200 years. It highlights all aspects relevant in shaping the industry from the development of risk, risk engineering and risk management, actuarial science, the financial and monetary environment, market conditions, impacts of politics, the effects of regulatory changes, to large risks and natural catastrophes. A comprehensive introduction by the editors highlights the different challenges and approaches to managing risk from a reinsurance perspective such as mathematical, financial, legal, and contractual developments, as well as the changing business models adopted. All of these are dealt with in further detail by ten contributing authors.

Save and Borrow Money the Smart Way A Better Way to Save, Borrow, and Recycle Your Family's Money will show you and your family a better way to simultaneously save money and borrow money. If you are looking for the smartest way to save money, borrow money, or if you are contemplating how to get a loan, or even how to save for retirement, then read this book first. Most people believe the bank is the only place to save money or borrow money, and IRA's and 401K's are the only place to save for retirement. However, a bank savings account doesn't allow you to keep earning money when you take money out of the account to pay for an expense. Likewise, neither 401K's nor IRA's allow you to borrow money from them without severe limitations, potentially significant penalties and taxes, and you'll miss out on any potential market gains. There is a smarter way to save and borrow with more flexibility so that your money works much harder for you and allows your family to keep more in their pocket. If you are open to listening to an idea that has been around for close to 200 years and stood the test of time, then consider looking at a participating whole life insurance policy. A participating whole life insurance policy, specifically built with a high cash value as part of the infinite banking concept, allows you to save money and borrow money with much greater efficiency and superior financial performance than any other system you are currently using. This is due to the fact that a properly designed participating whole life policy allows you to get safe, tax-deferred growth and allows you to simultaneously borrow money from the cash value without impacting the growth of that money. Unlike a bank savings account or a bank loan, you can literally get your money working in two different directions at once so you can live better today while saving for tomorrow. If you currently have or are contemplating owning a bank savings account, credit cards, student loans, personal loans, business loans, or car loans, then you need to read this book. Even if you think you are financially savvy and pay cash for all of your major expenses, the system illustrated will keep more in your pocket. Just by reading this book, you will understand why and how you could easily be saving $100,000 to $200,000 over your lifetime if you are currently using credit cards, financing, or paying cash for major expenses.

Even with the delay of the Employer Mandate, Health Care Reform is radically changing the health insurance environment for employers. The Smart Business Guide to Health Care Reform is your plain-language, yet detail-rich, ticket to understanding the impact of the law on employers (and everyone else). It will help your company navigate the new challenges presented by the law to reduce costs and keep employees happy. The law is complicated, and if you are responsible for making insurance decisions for your company, it is causing stress and anxiety that impacts your work life, and likely your personal well-being, as well. Like all laws, however, it is manageable when you are able to determine what portions impact you and concentrate on those issues. This book is your short cut to understanding what PPACA says, what it doesn't say, and how both will impact your business. The purpose is not to tell you everything about the law; but rather to inform you of the relevant provisions and translate those provisions from bureaucrat-speak to plain English. So while you may not fully understand every obscure provision, you hopefully will have the tools you need to assess your organization's exposure to key aspects of PPACA. This book is NOT a legal treatise, a magic bullet in the form of legal/accounting/insurance advice, or an op-ed piece telling you how wonderful or horrible the law is. It is information presented in a manner intelligent people can understand and apply. Bureaucrat-speak is translated, and the interaction between various provisions is discussed. Some issues addressed are: How do we know if the Employer Mandate applies to us? What about part-time and seasonal workers? What are the advantages and disadvantages of dropping coverage? Should we consider exchanges as the answer to our health insurance issues? Other than complying with the Employer Mandate, what else do businesses need to do to be in compliance with PPACA? What about FSAs, HSAs, and HRAs? Are defined contribution or self-insured plans options? What role does the Coast Guard have in implementation of Health Care Reform? This practical, easy to navigate, and easily understood discussion of the law will demystify topics that have been built up as unsolvable, and put you in the best position possible to analyze your company's health insurance responsibilities and opportunities.

If one of the "hats" you wear is "insurance-buyer" for your bank, then this is the book for you. This book is written for bankers who buy insurance for their banks. Hundreds of definitions, forms, charts, suggestions, recommendations, and just plain good advice - for bankers. The language of insurance is demystified and translated into banker-speak. Scott Simmonds has worked with more than 370 banks in his career as a consultant. Bankers look to Scott to help make their insurance better - better coverage, better premiums, easier administration, and faster claims. Unbiased, expert bank-experience. In this second edition of his book, you get his latest thoughts, ideas, and approaches. One hundred updates were made from the 2007 version. Scott has received many industry awards and designations, making him one of the top 1% of insurance professionals in the country. Scott's ideas have been published and quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Money Magazine, Forbes, The Boston Globe, and the Ellsworth American. He is a past president of his local Rotary Club, and of the Maine Association of Professional Consultants.

Confused, Bewildered, Perplexed and Unsure about your Medicare Options?

Updated and expanded for 2014

Are you turning 65 in 2014? Looking for a resource guide that helps you to navigate the maze of Medicare choices available to you? Want a clear and concise book which will answer all your questions? It's not the answers you already know, it's the questions you don't even know to ask Questions you might be thinking about? When can I enroll in Medicare? Does Medicare cover everything I might need? Is Medicare free? What's the difference between copayments and coinsurance? Are there any deductibles? Are there any penalties for not enrolling? What's an AEP, IEP, SEP, OEP and everything else? Can I make changes to what I already have? What are the costs for Medicare? What's the difference between a Med Supp plan and a Medicare Advantage plan? What's a Medigap plan? How do I get my prescriptions paid for in Medicare? What's a donut hole? What is TrOOP? What is MOOP? Does Medicare cover long term care needs?

Click the book cover to "Look Inside" to read the first 10% of the book free. Who might benefit from the information and tools contained in this book? You're going to be turning age 65 in 2014. You're already enrolled in Medicare and want to know what other options you have. You want a comprehensive resource guide about Medicare benefits and Medicare health plans. You're a healthcare professional who wants to learn more about Medicare. Retirement Planning and Medicare

Healthcare expenses can torpedo your retirement savings if these costs are not properly taken into account. Thinking portfolio returns will exceed the potential health care expenses should extensive medical care be needed is ignoring financial market reality. Additional information is included covering: The Medicaid Program Choices for Long-Term Care What you Need to Know Before you Buy Planning the Medicare Buying Decision Additional Resources

The dynamics of healthcare are shifting the patient paradigm in dramatic ways. The former patient is now both a consumer and a customer. The mantra of this new consumer is "convenient, fast, simple, and high value." Their expectations for healthcare are similar to what they experience in other industries such as transportation, banking, short-stay rental housing, retail shopping online, same-day deliveries, and more. Smart mobile devices enable the customer to conduct transactions at any place and at any time, and without waiting in line. Healthcare providers need to offer customer service experiences similar to Apple, Amazon, Nordstrom, and other benchmark companies in order to stay competitive. The mindset of the new patient-turned-consumer has fundamentally shifted and there is no looking back. Anyone connected to healthcare needs to learn the profiles of the new consumer, better understand their behaviors, and comprehend their expectations as customers who have a choice. The patient paradigm shifts tells you everything a successful business needs to know about the powerful new healthcare consumer.

America's health system has been a polarizing issue in most presidential campaigns throughout our lifetimes. It is hardly surprising that an industry that consumes nearly one in every five dollars spent in the U.S. economy will be prominent again in 2016 and beyond. This book will guide you through the fusillade of campaign promises and countercharges you will hear about health care and "reform". They will be more strident now that the fiscal calamity of Boomer retirements has arrived. This book also offers a powerful tool of reform. The Health Insurance Revenue Bond (TM) (HIRB) is a new and completely self-liquidating financing approach that fully funds escalating liabilities such as health care-without deficits. If you can't bend the curve on health costs, bend the curve on the cost of funding (TM). HIRB can assist governments in developed nations to begin the long and painful process of deleveraging.